Dog owner in the USA alone spend around $8.5 billion on manufactured dog food. However, many people also feed their dogs homemade meals or purchase special food from health stores and grocery stores. And then there are owners that feed raw dog food to their pets. There are many dog owner that are now choosing to give their dog a raw diet because this is how the dog would eat if it lived in the wild.
Commercial foods are being considered as a poor substitute to raw food. However, the use of raw food has been opposed by the FDA due to the risk of food borne illnesses. The FDA has also insisted that people who are feeding their dog raw meat follow the basic guidelines for handling such food, which may pose health risks to both humans and animals.
The commercial pet food manufacturers that produce raw dog food are now processing the raw materials using pasteurization under high pressure. This is approved by the USDA. This processing kills pathogenic bacteria using a water-based high pressure technology. This technology is used for the preparation of natural and organic products and is completely natural.
There are now many independent retailers that specialize in distributing commercial frozen raw food for dogs. Dog meat that is being bought in pet shops is deemed safer than meat bought in grocery stores. The bacteria level of meat that is bought in a supermarket can be high, as this meat should be cooked after purchase.
The bacteria level is relatively low in raw foods for dogs due to the high pressure pasteurization. The level of bacteria which is acceptable in produced raw foods for dogs is relatively low because these are meant to be fed raw. Processed food comes in pretty packages which illustrate pictures of grains, vegetables and meat chunks but what is inside the can is not natural. Pet owners are now choosing raw ingredients as opposed to processed foods to feed their dogs.
Raw dog food buying groups and raw feeders’ cubs have been joined by thousands of pet owners in North Bay and San Francisco alone. Similar groups and organization have developed across the USA. There have also been several books published on raw feed diets. There are also raw dog and cat breeders as well as shelters and rescue groups. Raw feeding is also being discussed on websites, message boards and forums. Vets have also reported an increase in homemade diets and raw diets.
